Los Angeles Passes Resolution Against ‘Intolerable’ Radio Speech

The Los Angeles City Council has passed a resolution condemning speech on radio that some may find “intolerable.”

According to the local CBS station in L.A., Councilmember Jan Perry “introduced legislation this week that would call upon media companies to ensure ‘on-air hosts do not use and promote racist and sexist slurs’ on radio and other broadcasts.”

“It’s exactly appropriate for this council to speak up against the vile things we hear on the airwaves,” Councilman Paul Krekorian told the Times. According to him, he doesn’t want to see free speech stifled, but rather is looking “to seek a greater consensus on what is appropriate speech and to reject what is not.” [Quote is referring to the Times’ paraphrase — it is not Krekorian’s exact words]

That raises the question: Isn’t coming to a greater consensus on appropriate speech the beginning of censoring free speech?